O’Donnell campaign responds to Gawker story

Christine O’Donnell’s campaign says an anonymously penned account of a sexual encounter with the Republican U.S. Senate candidate three years ago posted on Gawker is nothing but “sexism and slander that female candidates are forced to deal with.”

“From Secretary Clinton, to Governor Palin, to soon-to-be Governor Haley, Christine’s political opponents have been willing to engage in appalling and baseless attacks — all with the aim of distracting the press from covering the real issues in this race,” said O’Donnell spokesman Doug Sachletben.

O’Donnell is facing Democrat Chris Coons in the Delaware Senate contest on Tuesday.

In its statement released Thursday night, her campaign also pointed out that the National Organization for Women condemned the piece. “NOW repudiates Gawker’s decision to run this piece. It operates as public sexual harassment,” said NOW president Terry O’Neill. “And like all sexual harassment, it targets not only O’Donnell, but all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere.”